


lead us into battle and i'll lead you in a dance

by ghiblitears



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dancing, Disaster gay Shiro, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oneshot, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 20:30:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15420975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghiblitears/pseuds/ghiblitears
Summary: Two aliens have eyes for Lance at a diplomatic party. Shiro intervenes.





	lead us into battle and i'll lead you in a dance

**Author's Note:**

> I GAVE LOVE A SHANCE <3  
> I've been dying to write this pairing for forever. This was originally gonna be part of a 5+1 that I didn't end up writing, but I could visualize this scene so easily that I had to write it. Hope y'all like it!
> 
> Don't think too hard about where this falls in canon - maybe sometime in season 2?
> 
> EDIT: HARDLYNOTNEVER DREW ADORABLE ART FOR THIS FIC [HERE!!!](https://hardlynotnever.tumblr.com/post/180092136475/30-days-of-thanks-day-13-lead-us-into-battle-and)

All of the paladins agreed at one point or another that while the physical work of forming Voltron and defending the universe was hard, diplomacy and alliances with the aliens that made up their coalition was arguably more difficult. It was easy to step on the proverbial land line while navigating social cues as it was; add alien customs and skepticism about outsiders to the playing field and things got even trickier.

 

But Shiro liked to think they were getting better at it. And in a stroke of luck (for once), this alliance was already in the bag. The Gehua people had been thoroughly impressed with Voltron, its growing alliances, and its paladins — impressed enough to sign onto an agreement almost immediately after they’d been freed. It had helped that the Gehua and the Alteans went way back, and they were thrilled to have members of the court as their guests again. They’d all gotten treatment worthy of royalty, including this banquet thrown as thanks for their liberation.

 

Shiro watched the party with amusement. Everyone was enjoying themselves, spread all around the lavish banquet hall to eat and wander and talk. Glasses clinked. Music floated through the air, soft and alien but sweet. Voices murmured under the noise in a uniform hum, no one daring to break the content aura the hall had fallen into.

 

It was simply nice. Nice to have a night off, nice to have a moment to relax, to breathe.

 

Slivers of memory from the last time they’d held a party still darted through Shiro’s thoughts, surfacing and diving like fish in the ocean, but the circumstances were different this time. The Gehua had re-established an impressive army after the fall of the Galra and their celebration felt quite secure — enough for the paladins to actually let down their guard for what felt like the first time in months. It was a far cry from Arus, and a welcome one at that.

 

To everyone’s surprise, Keith had been the first to make friends with their rescues. They were a proud, warrior-like race — the Gehua seemed to admire his tenacity. Taking out a fleet of Galra fighters with some newly-mastered moves in his lion had helped. He and Allura were engrossed in a conversation with the Gehua prince, trading stories. All eyes — Gehua, Altean, and human (part-human?) were lit up in excitement.

 

Hunk and Pidge had taken up residence at the other end of the hall. The middle of the floor was occupied by a large group of dancers, twirling and spinning and stepping through the chaos in an almost ballroom-dance style. But while Hunk seemed eager to join the dancers — and had been, on-and-off, for the last hour or so — Pidge hung around on the sidelines, just as determined to avoid them. Hunk was currently being passed playfully between two Gehua dancers, and he looked like he was enjoying himself. Pidge seemed more occupied studying the hall’s floating lights, which bobbed among the dancers like soap bubbles and glowed like candles. Their reflections danced across the polished floor, like fireflies against the black stone.

 

Coran seemed to be handling the rest of the diplomacy, making niceties with the Gehua king and queen near the banquet tables. It all looked good from where Shiro was standing; both royals were smiling and nodding, and he watched Coran produce the Altean communicator they’d given to other planets and hand it to the king, who accepted it without hesitation. They’d all known the alliance would be in their favour, but it was a weight off his shoulders anyway.

 

And that left one paladin... where, exactly?

 

Shiro finally spotted Lance across the hall. His blue and white armour blended almost seamlessly into the aliens’ similarly-based clothing motif. He had a drink in one hand and was chatting eagerly to two Gehua, who were both watching him with interest. As Shiro watched one of them seemed to laugh at some comment he made, reaching out to put their arm around his waist and pull him in closer.

 

Cozy.

 

Were his eyes playing tricks on him, or did Lance’s pleased expression falter slightly?

 

It was impossible for Shiro to hear what they were talking about, but it looked like the two aliens had commandeered the conversation. They moved in, closing the gap around Lance smoothly. He tried to step back out of their space, but the arm around him prevented that. The second Gehua reached out to stroke his cheek with one long finger, drawing a slight flush across Lance’s face. His expression had shifted completely, from happy and content to nervous.

 

That was all Shiro needed to see. It looked like it was time to break it up. He began to make his way across the hall.

 

“— could show you a much better time than this, Blue Paladin.” Shiro heard one alien say as he approached. “Come with us, instead. They won’t even miss you here.”

 

“Sorry to interrupt,” Shiro said, his guarded tone masked thanks to patience and practice. “I was just hoping to snag Lance for a moment.”

 

Relief immediately made itself known in the way Lance beamed at him. “Of course, Shiro!” He brushed off the Gehua’s attentive hands, although the one who had him by the waist shifted their grip to link their arm with his, holding him back. “What do you need? Are we leaving?”

 

Lance’s tone was a little less light than usual, and he cursed himself for not intervening sooner.

 

“Um, no. Not just yet.” Unfortunately, he didn’t have a plan beyond ‘get Lance’, and he blanked on an excuse. Shiro hesitantly reached for Lance, flipping his prosthetic hand palm-up midway through the action. An offering.

 

“I was wondering, um... if I could have the next dance?”

 

The words hung in the air like the floating lights. Both Gehua gaped at him, clearly surprised at his intrusion.

 

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Shiro wanted to throw himself out the nearest window. A dance? What kind of dumb excuse was that? And with everyone staring at them? It was never going to work, and Lance would probably make fun of him once they were out of earshot.

 

But to his surprise, Lance looked utterly delighted. “Sure! If you’ll excuse me?” he said, directing his last words to the Gehua — a question with all the finality of a statement. He wriggled free of their grip and took Shiro’s Galran hand without hesitation, allowing himself to be guided away from the two aliens. The drink was left on a table without ceremony.

 

His gaze flickered back to the aliens once they were far enough away, and then he breathed a deep sigh of relief. “ _Thank you_. They wouldn’t leave me alone. Followed me from the dance floor to the punch bowl to the corner. Persistent, huh?” He gave Shiro a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

 

“They didn’t do anything before I got there, did they?” Shiro spared a backwards glance. The Gehua were still watching them, looking affronted. He met their stare as if it were a challenge. His hand drifted to the small of Lance’s back — whether that was for Lance’s security or his own, he wasn’t sure.

 

Lance shook his head. “No, no! It was honestly fine until like, five minutes ago. They just — some of the things they were saying, and the way they grabbed me... I don’t think we’d have stuck around unless someone else showed up. I’m glad you did.”

 

_Minutes_. Not _ticks_ , not _doboshes_. It was funny what habits had stuck with the paladins despite their time in space.

 

Shiro nodded in sympathy. “And us going full Voltron at a diplomatic ball wouldn’t exactly help our brand-new alliance, huh?”

 

At that, he laughed — quietly, but genuinely. Music to Shiro’s ears.

 

They stopped once they got far enough away, and then an awkward pause fell over them. The bustling crowd pushed them closer together, but no one else seemed to pay them any mind. Except, apparently, the two with eyes for Lance, who were still watching them from across the room. Shiro could practically feel their stares burning into him from where they stood.

 

“So,” he said, folding his arms. “What now?”

 

Lance looked back to him. He looked as though he were going to say something, paused, and then cleared his throat before speaking;“Well, I was promised a dance,” he said, almost shy, although his eyes glimmered with mischief. He bit his lip before continuing. “Unless you see someone else you’d rather be with?”

 

Oh?

 

Was he serious?

 

“Well...” Shiro scratched the back of his head. “I don’t really know how.”

 

Lance grabbed Shiro’s hand and began to pull him to the dance floor without hesitation. “C’mon. This time, I’ll lead.”

 

Despite himself, Shiro couldn’t hold back his amusement. “Very smooth.”

 

Lance’s smile over his shoulder, bright as a rising sun, was all the response he needed.

 

It looked like a two-step; as unfamiliar as he was with dancing, Shiro could recognize that much. As it turned out, he didn’t even have to worry about where to put his hands — Lance settled into position immediately, taking both of Shiro’s hands and guiding one to his shoulder while keeping a firm grip on the other. His free hand ended up at Shiro’s waist.

 

Of course it did. That was what the person leading a dance did, right?

 

They moved slowly at first, figuring out the rhythm of the crowd’s movements and the best way join in with them. Lance watched carefully, timing their dance and adjusting their moves so they matched the others in a matter of minutes. His face was a mask of concentration; one brow arched and his blue eyes carefully tracking the others’ movements. His tongue stuck out slightly. It was kind of endearing.

 

The light was warm, the music sweet. Despite his inexperience Shiro found himself enjoying it.

 

“You’re good at this,” he said softly. With their proximity they didn’t have to speak up — they were nearly chest to chest.

 

A smile tugged at Lance’s lips. “Yeah? I guess those dance lessons my mom signed me up for finally paid off.”

 

Two more dancers passed them and he manoeuvred them carefully around.

 

“It’s fun to see what talents you guys can show off outside of battle,” Shiro said. “We don’t exactly have time for ballroom dancing while fighting the Galra, you know?”

 

A shrug from Lance. “It’s not that hard, really. Mostly you just sway.”

 

Hmm. Unusually modest.

 

Shiro raised his hand up and out. Lance realized what he was doing and followed the motion, laughing when he reached the apex of the spin. He spun back into their previous position, his arm sliding back around Shiro.

 

“See! You’ve got it,” he said, a little breathless. “I’ll have you tearing up this dance floor in no time.”

 

Something warm caught in Shiro’s chest. Lance’s enthusiasm must be infectious.

 

“A good teacher helps,” he replied honestly.

 

Lance scoffed. “Flatterer.”

 

The song changed; a little slower, a little deeper in tone. The lights dimmed slightly, haloing them in a golden glow. In a matter of minutes the whole room’s vibe had changed, sliding gradually from a comfortable dance to something more... well, intimate.

 

Was that weird?

 

Around them, the other dancers slowed their pace. It was an echo of something he could sort of place, but not something he was actually familiar with.

 

Definitely intimate.

 

Shiro, who’d never been dancing, much less danced with someone else, could recognize that much.

 

“Is this—“ he struggled slightly for the right words. “Is this the Gehuan equivalent of a slow dance?”

 

A quiet laugh from Lance. He let go of his hand to poke at a nearby floating light. It bobbed away slowly, delicately. “I think it might be, yeah.”

 

Shiro made to step back.

 

“Hey, where are you sneaking away to?” Lance’s grip on his waist shifted slightly; both hands found their way to his back and stayed there, twining together in a gentle but firm hold. “Done dancing already?”

 

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “You... want to keep going?”

 

Lance waggled his own brows in response. He kept moving in rhythm, leaning first to the right side, then the left. “Listen, Shiro; I’ve done a lot of stuff since becoming a paladin. But slow dancing with Voltron’s fearless leader is not one of them — how could I pass that up?”

 

His eyes shone bright, playful, reflecting the hovering lights. “Unless you aren’t as fearless as you seem,” he teased in a low voice.

 

Why that made all the blood rush to Shiro’s face and stay there, he couldn’t say for sure.

 

The slow dance could have lasted minutes, ticks, doboshes, hours. Whatever measurement of time it was became unrecognizable as it slowed down to a lazy crawl. He mentally stepped away from the crowd to focus on the smaller details instead; like how warm Lance’s hands were even through his suit’s gloves; how aware he was of every touch, every time their armour brushed or Lance’s quiet breathing ghosted his skin; how neither of them broke the calm atmosphere with words.

 

How they seemed to have their own little space, a bubble of privacy amongst hundreds of people.

 

Lance’s white paladin armour reflected the lights in its shiny surface. Shiro kept focusing on it, his eyes catching the glare every time he looked between their surroundings and Lance’s curious blue eyes. He took a moment to appreciate the extra few inches of height he had, because it meant he didn’t have to constantly meet those eyes.

 

His hands found their way up to rest on Lance’s shoulders. He wondered if the Gehua were watching them.

 

If they were, he didn’t care that much.

 

“Hey,” Lance finally spoke, quiet against the low music. “For real, thanks for stepping in. That’s twice you’ve saved me at a party.”

 

Shiro hummed slightly and followed his slow movements. “Better not make a habit of it. Who knows if I’ll even be at the next one?” he replied — casual, playful. It completely covered the nerves that prickled across his skin. At least, he hoped it did.

 

Lance poked him in the side. “You’d better. We’d miss you, and I’d be down a dance partner.”

 

Then the song ended, the lights came up, and they both looked up, startled. Shiro felt like he was floating, weightless as one of the lighted orbs that bobbed around the room. Lance’s ears were red, his eyes wide in the sudden burst of light.

 

“Shiro, I—“ Lance began.

 

“Paladins!” Coran’s voice cut sharply through the moment. He ducked around where he’d apparently been hiding just behind Shiro to fix them with an amused grin. “Getting a feel for the dance floor?”

 

Both Shiro and Lance jumped back in surprise. Lance’s eyes were, if possible, even wider; pupils blown, darting nervously between Coran and Shiro.

 

“Hey, sneaking up on someone is totally against the Paladin Code!” he sputtered, gaze finally landing accusingly on Coran. Shiro was glad he was the first to speak, because for some reason his brain refused to work properly. Exiting their slow dance had made him feel hazy, like he was waking up from a dream.

 

“Actually, Number Three, practicing stealth is a high priority in the Paladin Code. You have to be ready for anything, and I have to keep you all on your toes!” Coran replied.

 

Lance pouted.

 

“How did the rest of the negotiations go?” Shiro asked, finally finding his words.

 

“Fantastic! The Gehua are very excited to be part of the alliance. We’ll be hearing from their strategists first thing tomorrow. And speaking of —“ Coran gestured to the rest of the paladins, who’d gathered off to one side of the party. “—we’re about to head back to the Castle. Believe it or not, my sneaking up on you wasn’t just a training exercise.”

 

He nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll be right with you.”

 

Coran left, throwing a salute towards them as he exited their little space. In the rest of the now-brightly lit room Shiro could see the Gehua move about the dancefloor, content, ready to dance and drink and socialize the night away.

 

“You ready to head in?” Shiro asked, glancing back towards Lance. “I’m pretty beat.”

 

Lance nodded, folding his arms over his chest. “Same here. All danced out.”

 

“Well, the next time you need a partner, I wouldn’t mind a few more lessons,” he replied. A wry smile tugged at his face before he could stop it.

 

Lance met it with his own. “Oh no, big guy. Next time you save me from a couple creepy aliens at a ball, you’re leading the dance.”

 

He shrugged. “We’ll see about that.”

 

Lance moved to join the rest of the team. About halfway there Shiro caught him glancing over his shoulder, back in his direction. He looked away just as quickly, and Shiro swore he caught the tail-end of a faint blush colouring Lance’s face before he was out of sight.

 

The sight made his heart thump in his chest.

 

What the _hell_ was happening to him? Was it some underlying anxiety from the party? He’d been perfectly fine when they’d asked the Gehuan royalty about security, and even better as the evening had passed without incident. Maybe it was something to do with the two aliens that had gone for Lance?

 

He stopped cold. None of this had happened until he’d asked him to dance. Which meant...

 

He recalled the memory of them slow-dancing, which was now permanently tattooed on his synapses. Lance's faint flush. The way he'd looked at Shiro.

The way Shiro had undoubtedly looked at him. 

"Oh no," he whispered. 

**Author's Note:**

> yell abt voltron with me:  
> on tumblr: babykeithsmullet (s7 spoilers!) or my main, aloydante  
> on twitter: ghiballie


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